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Yellowstone National Park

Few places can bring tears to one's eyes and a song in one's soul like Yellowstone National Park. Visitors to the West Yellowstone area are certain to be thrilled by the displays of nature, and have access to towns like Big Sky not far away. Established in 1872 as America's first National Park, Yellowstone is a geological haven giving the public a look into some very interesting features, including 60 percent of the world's geysers, mountains that contain steam vents, natural hot springs, hotsprings that travel through limestone presenting a chalky white material, waterfalls and rivers that have cut through rock over centuries, and the Continental Divide makes its way through the park, along with other natural wonders.

Located just south of the Gallatin National Forest, this area, before the area was protected, and long before settlers arrived, was inhabited by Native Americans. In fact, evidese shows that the area was home to people nearly 11,000 years ago. Interestingly, some groups of Shoshone Indians had adapted to a mountain existence. And in this area, these groups called Tukudika chose not to acquire the horse, but instead used dogs to transport animal hides and food throughout the winter and summer months. Other Native Americans either used the area as their home, or route through which they traveled throughout the seasons.

Attractions In Yellowstone

One of the most famous attractions is the many geysers. Steamboat geyser shakes the ground around it when it erupts. Of course Old Faithful remains a major draw of the park. A little less known geyser is the Norris Geyser Basin. This is the oldest geyser in Yellowstone, but more significantly, it is the hottest. At this elevation, the boiling point is 199°F and Norris once recorded 459°F at 1.087 feet below the surface. Yikes! Watch out for that one.

Did you know the 44th Parellel line travels right through this national park? The imaginary line half way between the equator and the North Pole is fan favorite for park visitors.

The waterfalls and natural hot springs is another signature feature of the area and can be seen both from the roads and in the backwoods areas. Kepler Cascades, a very short hike above Old Faithful, is one of those most easily viewed and cherished landmarks in the United States.

In this beautiful area of the West, fishing is considered some of the best offered anywhere. The Firehole River offers challenging fly-fishing filled with brown, rainbow, and brook trout. We're talking miles upon miles of options here, including the massive Yellowstone Lake that is over 400-feet-deep.

We highly recommend visiting the National Park Service website to view hundreds of videos on the park history, park safety, and area information before your visit.

Photo Courtesy of the National Park Service, Sunset on Shoshone Lake by William Dunmire

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